Rubio, South Korean foreign minister welcome trade deal ahead of Lee’s Washington visit

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Thursday to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including a newly reached trade deal and the upcoming visit of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to Washington.

“They both welcomed the announcement of a full and complete trade deal and the forthcoming visit of ROK President Lee Jae Myung to Washington,” State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a readout of the meeting.

The two also discussed regional security dynamics, including North Korea’s missile program.

Rubio and Cho reaffirmed their countries’ alliance as “a linchpin for peace and stability in the region,” according to the statement

"Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Cho also reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the DPRK (North Korea), the full implementation of international sanctions, and expressed serious concerns about North Korea’s increasing military cooperation with Russia," it said.

"Both emphasized that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait was an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community," the statement added.

The two also discussed the importance of continuing to advance US-South Korea-Japan trilateral cooperation, which the statement said "plays a vital role in deterrence and resilience against regional security threats."